This document discusses mine dewatering. It describes three aspects of mine dewatering design: hydrogeology, dewatering technology, and environmental sensitivities. It provides examples of dewatering methods for open pit mines, underground mines, and mine shafts. These include pumping from wells and sumps, cutoff walls, drain holes, and ground freezing. The goal is to lower the water table and control groundwater inflows in a way that considers environmental impacts.
This document discusses mine dewatering. It describes three aspects of mine dewatering design: hydrogeology, dewatering technology, and environmental sensitivities. It provides examples of dewatering methods for open pit mines, underground mines, and mine shafts. These include pumping from wells and sumps, cutoff walls, drain holes, and ground freezing. The goal is to lower the water table and control groundwater inflows in a way that considers environmental impacts.
This document discusses mine dewatering. It describes three aspects of mine dewatering design: hydrogeology, dewatering technology, and environmental sensitivities. It provides examples of dewatering methods for open pit mines, underground mines, and mine shafts. These include pumping from wells and sumps, cutoff walls, drain holes, and ground freezing. The goal is to lower the water table and control groundwater inflows in a way that considers environmental impacts.
This document discusses mine dewatering. It describes three aspects of mine dewatering design: hydrogeology, dewatering technology, and environmental sensitivities. It provides examples of dewatering methods for open pit mines, underground mines, and mine shafts. These include pumping from wells and sumps, cutoff walls, drain holes, and ground freezing. The goal is to lower the water table and control groundwater inflows in a way that considers environmental impacts.
Dr Martin Preene Preene Groundwater Consulting June 2014
www.preene.com SYNOPSIS
Synopsis
• Water management for mining
• Approaches to groundwater control
• Examples of mine dewatering technology
– Open pit – Underground – Shafts
www.preene.com PRACTICE PROFILE
Preene Groundwater Consulting is the Professional Practice of
Dr Martin Preene and provides specialist advice and design services in the fields of dewatering, groundwater engineering and hydrogeology to clients worldwide
Dr Martin Preene has more than 25 years’ experience on
projects worldwide in the investigation, design, installation and operation of groundwater control and dewatering systems. He is widely published on dewatering and groundwater control and is the author of the UK industry guidance on dewatering (CIRIA Report C515 Groundwater Control Design and Practice) as well as a dewatering text book (Groundwater Lowering in Construction: A Practical Guide to Dewatering)
www.preene.com MINE DEWATERING
There are 3 aspects to the design and implementation of mine
dewatering
An understanding of:
• Hydrogeology
• Dewatering technology
• Environmental sensitivities
www.preene.com MINE DEWATERING
There are 3 aspects to the design and implementation of mine
dewatering
An understanding of:
• Hydrogeology
• Dewatering technology
• Environmental sensitivities
www.preene.com RANGE OF APPLICATION OF METHODS
From CIRIA Report C515 (2000): Groundwater Control: Design and Practice
www.preene.com WATER MANAGEMENT FOR MINING Water Management
Surface water control Groundwater control
Diversion Pumping Exclusion Pumping
Treatment if necessary
Disposal to Environmental Beneficial
Waste Mitigation use
On site Off site
www.preene.com WATER MANAGEMENT FOR MINING Water Management
• In underground mines, the conventional approach is to use the mine itself to
control groundwater, by allowing the workings to act as drains • Once the water is in the mine it is passed along roadways (by pumping or gravity) to a deeper part of the mine (sump) or shaft bottom, to be pumped out via shaft or decline • Due to depth there may be a need for staged pumping to get the water out of the mine • In hard rock mines drain holes may be drilled out from workings • Important to minimise ‘dirty water’ (that has run along the floor/walls) and segregate ‘clean water’ (that has come straight from drain holes), because the water treatment requirements are different
www.preene.com UNDERGROUND METHODS
• Where fractured or water bearing zones are encountered,
exclusion methods can be used to reduce water inflows. Grouting to seal inflow pathways is the most common approach • Grouting may be: – Planned or responsive – From surface (limited depth) or from workings (interferes with mining) • Most common type of grout is cementitious based grouts, but problems with grouting through flowing water and may be washed out before they set • Specialist chemical ‘water stopping’ polyurethane grouts are available to deal with flowing water but are expensive
www.preene.com SHAFT SINKING METHODS
• Deep shafts for mining present particular problems:
– Depth – Limited space and complex working sequence – May pass through multiple aquifers • Common to use the exclusion approach – Cementitious grouting (cover grouting) – Artificial ground freezing • Rare to use external pumped wells apart from for shallow depths through granular soils • Even with exclusion methods there is a need to remove water from shaft bottom – Too deep to pump in one lift – Water often bailed out in hoisting kibble
www.preene.com MINE DEWATERING
Dr Martin Preene Preene Groundwater Consulting June 2014
